Lighttight cigarette holder



June 13, 1950 MOKEL 2,510,995

LIGHT-TIGHT CIGARETTE HOLDER Filed Dec. 6, 1944 IN VEN TOR.

4i/yxc4/wocke/ WYORNE) Patented June 13, 1950 LIGHTTIGHT CIGARETTE HOLDER Frederick A. Mockel, United States Army, Kettle Falls, Wash.

Application December 6, 1944, Serial No. 566,934

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 8 Claims.

The invention described herein, if patented ma be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a light-tight cigarette holder to permit the lighting and smoking of cigarettes under abnormal conditions, particularly where the showing of light is not permissible.

A specific object of my invention is to provide a light-tight cigarette holder to permit the lighting and smoking of cigarettes under conditions where it is not permissible to have light visible; such as in blackouts during time of war, and areas close to an enemy, and also it may be useful under peace time conditions as in a photographic dark room or anywhere that light is undesirable while smoking.

An object of my invention is to provide a light-tight cigarette holder which holds a cigarette while it is being lighted and smoked and which is lightproof while striking and smoking.

A further object of my invention is to provide a light-tight cigarette holder which is windproof, showerproof and lightproof, and which will permit the lighting of cigarettes with either safety or Strike Anywhere matches.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a light-tight cigarette holder of generally improved construction whereby the holder will be light, sturdy, simple, easily operated and fireproof as well as durable and inexpensive in construction, and conveniently practicable, serviceable and eflicient in use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction herein described and claimed; it being understood that various changes in form, proportion, and details of construction may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any advantages of the invention. For a complete disclosure of the invention, a detailed description thereof will now be given in connection with the drawings forming a part of the specification wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view of the light-tight cigarette holder ready for use.

Figure 2 is a partial sectional view taken horizontally to show details of interior construction.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the vertical plane as shown at 3-3 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an end View along the axis of the barrel showing a section along plane 44 of Figure 3 showing the details of the barrel vent system.

In these drawings the numeral I designates a mouth piece, the mouth portion of which may be provided with lips as shown or arranged with any conventional or desired bite portion. The other end thereof is provided with threads 2 and a collar 3. The cigarette fits into the mouth piece and is supported thereby. As shown, the mouth piece is designed to hold a conventional tailor made cigarette. Screwed on to the mouth piece is a barrel 4 which is corrugated as shown to give better heat transfer characteristics; the burning cigarette can only touch portions of the interior ridges and the hand will only touch portions of the exterior regions. Accordingly, the barrel will be convenient to handle at all times. Threads 8 are provided at the upper end of the barrel to screw on to the mouth piece. Barrel apertures 5 are provided adjacent the ends of the threads and at the crest of the corrugations so that the collar on the mouth piece will act as a light shield, preventing the emission of any light from the glow of the cigarette but permitting air to circulate inside the barrel. A body 1 is shown at the other end of the barrel, preferably of cylindrical construction, to house the end of the cigarette and the striking means. The body is provided with perforations 8 to permit air to enter, and smoke and heat to escape. These perforations are shielded by light shields it so that light from the striking of a match or the burning of a cigarette cannot escape through the holes. A diaphragm 9 holds, positions and braces the interior end of the barrel. A screw ll serves as an axle for a rotor l2 and is held thereto with a nut 13. The rotor and body should be rabbeted to each other as shown to prevent the escape of light and to prevent lost motion.

A striking surface I4 is provided which may be of sand paper or other rough material for Strike Anywhere matches, but which may be the striking surface from a box of safety matches. This striking surface is held in position on the interior of the body I by a retainer 15 into which the striking surface fits. The retainer is of such size and shape as to hold the striking surface from the side of an ordinary box of safety matches, and, hence, the striking surface is replaced each time a box of matches is used to maintain a continually fresh striking surface. The simplest type of retainer is an undercut edge into which the striking surface is snapped. The rotor is provided with a match hole I6 with bevelled edge as shown in Figure 1..

In use the mouth piece is unscrewed and a cigarette inserted therein, and the assembly inserted and screwed into the barrel. The striking surface from a box of matches should .have been positioned in the retainer, as may be necessary from time to time, and the rotor cover held in place with the nut. The match is then inserted through the match hole and placed upon the striking surface. The match is then lighted by scraping along the striking surface, and when lighted is shifted until adjacent the end of the cigarette and the cigarette lighted by puifing in the normal manner. The match is then rotated backwards as it is withdrawn until the match hole is shielded from the glow of the cigarette by the diaphragm. As the match is withdrawn it is automatically extinguished. With a small amount of practice perfect results are readily obtained and fewer matches are consumed than when attempting to light cigarettes in the wind.

A shoulder may be provided on the axis screw so that the nut can be firmly seated and thus prevent any likelihood of the nut being turned by the rotor, but normally this is not necessary. With the exception of the nut and screw which should be of metal, preferably non-corrosive, the holder complete is made of Bakelite or such plastic as is available and reasonably fire resistant. The choice of plastic to be used depends upon the equipment available and is within the skill of the art, and is not a part of the invention. The entire holder may be made of metal if desired for greater durability, but is then more apt to become overheated to the hand. The holder may be readily adapted by changes in relative proportions to hold normal cigarettes, king-size cigarettes or either, or cigars, or home-made cigarettes, depending upon the type of smoking materials to be available. The mouth piece may readily be fitted with any of the standard type stub ejectors, well known on the market, but such ejectors tend to render the holder unduly bulky and complex.

I claim as my invention:

1. A light-tight cigarette holder comprising a mouthpiece provided with a chamber adapted to receive a cigarette, threads on the mouthpiece, a collar extending beyond the threads, a longitudinally corrugated barrel with threads to fit said mouthpiece threads, vent apertures in the barrel adjacent its threaded portion, said apertures so positioned as to be light shielded by said collar, a body on the barrel of cylindrical configuration, perforations in the top and bottom of the body, interior light shields to prevent light escaping through the perforations, a match igniting means inside the body, a rotor covering the open side of the body, a retainer to position the rotor, and a match hole in the rotor whereby a match may be inserted to strike on the match igniting means and rotated to light a cigarette which has been inserted in said mouthpiece.

2. A light-tight cigarette holder comprising a mouthpiece, a barrel mounted on said mouthpiece, and a body on the opposed end of said barrel containin perforations, light shields to prevent light escaping from said perforations, a rotor on one side of said body, a match igniting means interiorly of said body, and a match insertion hole in said rotor whereby a cigarette may be lighted by a match and the cigarette smoked without the escape of light.

3. A light-tight cigar or cigarette holder comprising a mouthpiece, a body adapted to surround a cigar or cigarette, a match scratching element within said body, a movable element on said body, and a match opening in said movable element, whereby a match may be inserted through said match opening to strike on said scratching element and said movable element may be adapted to carry the match towards the end of the cigar or cigarette.

4. A light-tight cigar or cigarette holder comprising a mouthpiece, a body adapted to inclose a cigar or cigarette, a match striking element within said body adapted to be positioned remote from the end of the cigar or cigarette, a rotor forming part of said body, and a match opening in said rotor for insertion of a match for striking against said striking element, said rotor being adapted to carry a lit match towards the end of the cigar or cigarette for lighting.

5. A light-tight cigar or cigarette holder comprising a mouthpiece, a body adapted to inclose a cigar or cigarette, a removable match striking means within said body, an opening in said body providing access to said means, a movable cover for said opening, and a match opening in said cover adapted for insertion of a match for lighting against said striking means, said movable cover being adapted to carry the lit match towards the end of the cigar or cigarette.

6. A light-tight cigar or cigarette holder comprising a mouthpiece, a body adapted to surround a cigar or cigarette positioned in the mouthpiece, match-igniting means mounted on the in terior of the body, and a disc rotatably mounted on the body and provided with an opening adapted to receive the stem of a match, whereby a match inserted in said opening may be moved into operative engagement with the match-igniting means by rotating the disc.

7. A light-tight cigar or cigarette holder comprising a mouthpiece, a barrel connected to the mouthpiece, a substantially cylindrical body secured to the outer end of said barrel and in communication therewith, match-igniting means mounted on the interior of the cylindrical body, and a disc closing one end of said cylindrical body and rotatably mounted thereon, said disc provided with an opening adapted to receive the stem of a match, whereby a match inserted in said opening may be moved into operative engagement with the match-igniting means by ro tating the disc.

8. A light-tight cigar or cigarette holder comprising a mouthpiece, a body adapted to surround a cigar or cigarette positioned in the mouthpiece, match-igniting means mounted on the interior of the body at a point to the rear of the inner end of a cigarette or cigar mounted in the holder, and a movably mounted element on the body provided with a match receiving opening extending therethrough to permit the head of a match to engage the match-igniting means, whereby a match inserted in said opening may be successively moved across said match-igniting means and into position at the inner end of the cigar or cigarette to be lighted.

FREDERICK A. MOCKEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,833,931 Bryant Dec. 1, 1931 2,070,831 Grundon Feb. 16, 1937 2,098,619 Finnell Nov. 9, 1937 2,366,686 Halloran Jan. 2, 1945 2,385,227 Olson Sept. 18, 1945 

